Blue Sky! ~ Tool Bar ~ Amazon Order ~ Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta ~ Dave Clark ~ Hollyweird Plastic ~ Vichyssoise

Good 46º a little bit of blue sky peaking through the clouds morning.

Boy, yesterday was borrrring. I played catch up with the emails on the computer and getting all my favorite places (should have written them down before uninstalling AOL) back on the toolbar. Chore.

I did make an order to Amazon for Betty White's book, If You Ask Me (suggested by my pal Tammy ... Mr. Big Stuff's mom... black lab, remember PJ found on freeway off ramp and adopted by Tammy!)

, some Temptations treats for Bruise, potassium pills, and a case of artichoke hearts. All of this stuff wayyyyyy cheaper than the local grocery or whatever. Free shipping. Keeps UPS and FedEx busy! 

Stayed cool (45º) and gloomy all day. My mountain completely hidden by low clouds.

You know, there is so much more important news than Charlie Sheen and his drug/prostitution/phonographic addicted/HIV ! PULLLEESE! What an ass. How about some news about people out there doing good things!!!

Since it's "that time of year".. how about making Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta!

1# long strand linguine

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

1 T. butter

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. Italian seasoning

1 T. flour

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese + additional

In a large stockpot filled with water, bring to boil, add pasta and boil until al dente. (or if you like it softer, cook it longer!)

Dice onion and garlic. Melt butter  and sauté onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until translucent and starting to brown. Add salt, Italian seasoning, and flour. Carefully stir to incorporate. Next add the pumpkin puree, stirring it together. Then add the milk and Parmesan cheese. Give it a stir and heat through then pour over the drained pasta. Sprinkle additional Parmesan over each serving.

Today is a special birthday, Dave Clark (LASD ret from Lakewood 1990/USN)  is celebrating. He and his bride Pam have been celebrating down in Puerta Villarta. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dave!! Glad you two are back home in the freezing NW safe and sound.

Historically this date..

1307 – William Tell shoots an apple off his son's head.

1865 – Mark Twain's short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is published in the New York Saturday Press.

1928 – Release of the animated short Steamboat Willie, the first fully synchronized soundcartoon, directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, featuring the third appearances of cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. This is also considered by the Disney corporation to be Mickey's birthday.

1961 – United States President John F. Kennedy sends 18,000 military advisors to South Vietnam.

...as a side note, Jerry's Marine unit was sent, tanks, but instead of being in Viet Nam, they were at Fuji McNair in Japan... back up if/when needed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Fuji

1963 – The first push-button telephone goes into service.

1970 – U.S. President Richard Nixon asks the U.S. Congress for $155 million USD in supplemental aid for the Cambodian government.

1978 – In Jonestown, Guyana, Jim Jones led his Peoples Temple cult to a mass murder-suicide that claimed 918 lives in all, 909 of them in Jonestown itself, including over 270 children. Congressman Leo J. Ryan is murdered by members of the Peoples Temple hours earlier.

1999 – In College Station, Texas, 12 are killed and 27 injured at Texas A&M Universitywhen the 59-foot-tall (18 m) Aggie Bonfire, under construction for the annual football game against the University of Texas, collapses at 2:42am.

And births this date include.....

1908 – Imogene Coca, American actress and comedian (d. 2001)

Such a funny lady ... with Sid Caesar.

1923 – Alan Shepard, American astronaut (d. 1998)

1939 – Brenda Vaccaro, American actress

She and Michael Douglas dated....

 

1942 – Linda Evans, American actress

 

Such a shame when beautiful people use plastic surgery!

She has some interesting photos on her website... click on Gallery.

http://www.lindaevansofficial.com/

 

1968 – Owen Wilson, American actor and film-writer

Then... there is this guy with the crooked nose and NEEDS plastic surgery! He certainly can afford Hollywood's finest surgeons!

Speaking of plastic surgery among Hollyweird's elite...

Goldie Hawn...

 

Joan Rivers....

 

Lisa Rinna...

 

Meg Ryan....

 

Last night not hungry, cottage cheese and hard boiled egg for dinner, chair, wine, TV ... saw the end of Hallmark A Boyfriend for Christmas and Chicago Fire.

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Hump Day. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

November 18th

National Vichyssoise Day

The History Of Vichyssoise

Let’s start with the origin and definition of vichyssoise and the correct pronunciation, which is vee-shee-SWAHZ. While it sounds like an old, classic French dish, this cold, creamy leek and potato soup was invented in America in 1917 and named after the French town of Vichy—long before Vichy would become the seat of France’s Nazi collaborationist government.

While the soup may have had its origin at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in New York City, to give France its culinary due, a French chef born in a town near Vichy is credited as the creator.

Louis Diat was the chef at the hotel for most of the first half of the 20th century. In 1950, he recounted to The New Yorker magazine the potato and leek soup of his childhood, and how he would cool it off during the summer by pouring in cold milk, which resulted in a delicious summer soup. He decided to make something similar for the patrons of the Ritz.*

The soup was first called Crème Vichyssoise Glacée. Culinary historians point out that the French chef Jules Gouffé published a similar recipe with potatoes, leeks, chickenstock and cream, in Royal Cookery, in 1869, but did not serve it cold. There is also a form of the hot recipe called Potage Parmentier after Antoine Auguste Parmentier, who returned from a German prison-of-war camp after the Seven Year War (1756 to 1763) to find his countrymen starving, and set up potato soup kitchens throughout Paris to assist the poor.

*Hellman, Geoffrey T, “Talk of the Town,” The New Yorker (Decem

ber 2002).

Thank goodness that Diat chose to cool things down, because vichyssoise makes perfect summer eating. (Of course, you can serve the recipe hot!)

I LOVE Leek and Potato Soup. It's traditionally served very cold, but I like mine hot! This is the recipe Jerry and I used forever...

 

It's in the "joy OF COOKING". My book was given to me in 1964 and has many many pages in it that have that particular recipe ingredients all over them!

 In my opinion, the BEST cookbook there is! 

Mince the white part of 3 medium leeks and 1 medium onion.

Stir and sauté them for 3 minutes in 2 T. butter.

 

Peel and slice very fine and add 4 medium potatoes (I like Yukon Gold) and 4 cups chicken stock. Simmer covered for 15 minutes, or until tender. Put them through a blender in small batches. Add 1-2 cups of heavy cream or half & half (use fat free if that works for you), salt and white pepper (or black) and stir in some snipped fresh chives (or scallions). I heat mine though or put in refrigerator to chill. A good addition is chopped crispy fried bacon.